The Art of War
THE ART OF WAR Introduction The Nature of Modern War Warfare of the 25th century has evolved considerably since the mass armored conflicts of the 20th century. The change could already be seen in the early 21st century and has culminated today in a system where large concentrations of troops and vehicles are only possible when the war is already over in most cases. No large field army could survive if the enemy controlled orbit. Instead, the critical phase of battle takes place in the skies and space. Once orbital control is assured, soldiers can be dropped down to seize important sites and quell remaining organized resistance. Often, long years must be spent grinding down resistance groups, which is where most soldiers earn their living. There are three 'degrees' of war - planetary, interplanetary and interstellar. Planetary war (limited to a single planet) is most like that a 21st century human would be familiar with, and generally involves coordinated air-ground campaigns. Military scholars estimate that a good 80% of all wars fought in the last 100 years have been planetary, and most of them civil wars or guerilla uprisings. Interplanetary war (that fought within a given nation) generally resembles planetary warfare, but it also introduces space combat and orbital control as key strategic elements. Finally, there is interstellar warfare between two space nations. Interstellar warfare ranges from minor border skirmishes to total warfare calling on all the resources of all warring nations. Planetary warfare is almost entirely an army affair, interstellar warfare a navy concern, and interplanetary warfare a little of both. Orders of Battle The following chart outlines the military units used by most Human armies from smallest to largest. * Fireteam: The smallest tactical unit, generally used only by Anglosphere planets. 2-4 soldiers. * Squad: The basic military unit (known as a section in the Anglosphere). 8-14 soldiers. * Platoon: Two to four squads under an officer and senior NCO. 30-50 soldiers. * Company: Three to five platoons usually lead by a Captain. 75-200 soldiers. * Battalion: Between two and six companies usually commanded by a Lt. Colonel. 500-1500 soldiers. * Regiment: A number of battalions lead by a Colonel. Anywhere from 500 to 5000 soldiers. * Brigade: Two to five regiments or battalions under a Brigadier or Colonel. 1000 to 5000 soldiers. * Division: Several regiments and brigades lead by a Major General. 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers. * Corps: Two or more divisions under a Lt. General. 50,000 to 75,000 soldiers * Field Army: Several corps and divisions usually lead by a General. 100,000 to 300,000 soldiers. * Army Group: Several field armies lead by a General, Field Marshal or equivalent rank. Between 500,000 and 1.5 million soldiers. * Army Region: Between two and five army groups lead by a full General or equivalent. Between 1 and 3 million soldiers. * Army Theater: A rarely-used grouping of several army regions under a high-ranking General. Upwards of 5 million soldiers. * Planetary Army: A grouping of 2-3 army theaters used only by the French. Commanded by a Field Marshal. 15-20 million soldiers. Planetary Wars Intro. Long, bloody. Hearts and minds. Cynosuran Civil War Cynosura Prime has seen better days. The civil war that has scourged the planet for several years shows no signs of ending and, in fact, is only getting worse. The conflict began when the planet's Zhongguoan-dominated government was overthrown in a coup. The pro-British regime that seized power was itself overthrown fairly quickly by a Zhongguoan backed counter-revolution. In the interval, though, central authority essentially collapsed across most of the planet, and the new government has only secured a measure of control over the provinces immediately around the capital city Tenzan. The short-lived pro-British government has resurfaced in the main eastern continent, but it barely controls a handful of cities. Elsewhere, local emergency governments have popped up, most of them little better than warlord regimes. Currently, a huge variety of forces are jockeying for position: Cynosuran government forces, Chinese 'volunteer' brigades, squads of French adventurers, "Yellow and Green" autonomist militias, Tenzan Maglev Company guards, Sinhan bodyguard firms, Orion private security consultants, warlord armies and mercenary companies run by nondescript men with British accents. Alliances are formed and broken on a weekly basis, the lines between soldiers and brigands are blurring fast, and casual violence is becoming a fact of life for the people of Cynosura. The only people profiting from all this are gun-runners and mercenaries (who are, it must be said, profiting quite handsomely). The Garner Valley War British conflict on Cottingley. Homesteaders in arms over a giant dam project. Put down by the Queen's Own Rimward Rifles. Forces deployed - settler militia and the Rimward. Current situation - still simmering. A few assassinations (via arson). Rimward gone, replaced by the Royal Hudson Regiment (not as sharp a unit as the Rimward). The al-Isha'a Intifada Home of Sarrafism, a conservative, reformist sect of Islam. The Sarrafi clashed with the sheikhs in the old days and clash with the Caidists now. Sarrafi can be recognized by their traditional blue robes and turbans, or hijabs. Forces deployed. Dozens of Sarrafi armed groups, ranging from small bands of a dozen or so men (often indistinguishable from bandits) to small armies of thousands of soldiers with light combat vehicles and artillery. Current situation. Ongoing. Interplanetary Wars The Huoxing Uprising Martian separatists. Fifty years ago, Huoxing was swept by a great rebellion, one put down only with great cost. Even today, pockets of resistance sometimes flare up and there are parts of the canyon cities unsafe for Zhongguoan officials or even small military patrols. Climatic battle of Xiaguqiao. Forces deployed. Current situation. Beyond the Meridian Gate Crown Intelligence Service operatives who have the deadly task of infiltrating the Forbidden City on Diqiu. Spies who trespass in the Forbidden City are executed in public. History of the program. Successes. Failures. Prominent example The War of the Black Scale La Marcan forces. Crushing a separatist regime (possibly sponsored by Zhongguo) on Paraná. Forces deployed. Current situation. The C-B Wars Strahovski. A civil war between two factions of the after a very closely contested election. The Czerwone (Reds) and the Blekitne (Blues). Although current Strahovskian leaders avoid describing the conflict as a war (the historically correct term is 'unrest'), few others are so picky. Since neither faction had a particular stronghold (both were instead equally popular in most of the cities on Strahovski), there were no easily determined battle lines. Street battles. Rival local authorities. Assassinations. No-go areas in the countryside. Eventually, a third force, the Czarne (Blacks) arose and took power. Even now, a generation later, there are still infrequent clashes between the children of the Czerwone and Blekitne. Interstellar Wars The Franco-Eridani War Admiral Cristobal de la Durantaye and Admiral Josef Schüssel. First use of blink missiles. In The Trenches One of the more notable features of the Franco-Eridani War was the reappearance of an ancient and obsolete form of warfare during the Inkeri campaign. Inkeri is a marginally terrestrial planet in the strategic Termomen system on the edge of the Eridanus Union. It was a major Eridani staging area and home to no fewer than six first-rate military starports, and thus a major target for Admiral de La Durantaye's fleet. The French forces engaged and defeated the Eridani orbital squadrons after a bitter battle, but that was where conventional tactics flew out the window. After off-loading several army divisions, the French fleet was forced to abruptly withdraw by a series of massive solar flares. The Eridani forces on the ground, who had stood down initially, reoccupied and fortified their bases around the starports. The stranded French troops advanced, but without even air support (the violent electromagnetic storms that accompanied the solar flares made it impossible), the situation soon stabilized. Both sides laid down extensive networks of trenches and tunnels, and grinding siege war began while the solar storm continued to rage. Both sides were able to make infrequent resupply runs to their ground forces, and both sides fed more troops into the trench system, but neither France nor Eridani was able to gain orbital control long enough to make a difference - the storms came too suddenly and lasted too long. Neither side was willing to admit defeat, even after the system's strategic value faded as the war moved deeper into Eridani territory. This unintended homage to World War One lasted almost five months before the storms abated, by which time the war itself was over. Nearly a half-million soldiers died in total.]]] The War of 2407 (Procyon War) This conflict was one of the last stages in the decline of the USO as a great power. The USO and Zhongguo had been rivals ever since the Cull (before, really, since the days of the USA and the People's Republic of China), and as the 25th century began the rivalry became increasingly heated. The USO was anxious to demonstrate its strength and expand into the swiftly disappearing unclaimed systems along its frontier, while Zhongguo sought to extend its trade routes into those same systems. There had been numerous skirmishes beginning around 2404, but the war only began when Zhongguoan and USO probes independently discovered alien ruins on the otherwise insignificant, inhospitable world of Huanglong (or Armstrong) in the Procyon system. Both sides dispatched armed expeditions, and the shooting began almost immediately. From there, the escalation was inevitable. USO fleets in readiness struck at several Chinese frontier colonies and military outposts, scoring several early victories. But the tide soon turned, and the far larger Zhongguoan task forces that arrived in the Procyon region began to overwhelm the scattered Orion squadrons. In just a few months, the USO gains were rolled back and Zhongguoan forces were pushing into Orion territory despite the increasingly frantic efforts of hastily raised Orion units and a host of privateers (including a few British and Sinha volunteer squadrons). To rally and inflict a heavy enough defeat on the Zhongguoans to force them to the negotiating table, the USO Joint Chiefs planned a major engagement in the outer Procyon system. Nearly half the USON was assembled for the battle, and a large percentage of the Imperial Navy as well. The battle began early on May 2, and lasted for almost three days as the two huge fleets chased each other around the entire system, slowly grinding each other down in small engagements. Only late on May 5 did the USON fleet, having lost a third of its ships, engage the main Zhongguoan armada in low orbit over Huanglong. The climatic battle raged for hours, but in the end, almost the entire USON fleet lay in ruins. Three small destroyers and a single battlecruiser escaped, leaving the Orion ground forces stranded on Armstrong. After the disaster, the USO administration collapsed and an interim government hastily sued for peace with Zhongguo. The Procyon system was handed over to Zhongguo, and Zhongguo successfully laid claim to the entire frontier zone, humbling the USO. On top of that, the USO had to pay reparations for all damages inflicted on Zhongguoan property (military or civilian) during the war. The USO did manage to keep the alien artifacts it had removed from Huanglong, although even that bright spot was dimmed when Zhongguoan archaeologists discovered far richer troves in the years immediately after the war. War of the Dauphin Admiral de la Durantaye returned from retirement at Château Labbé, his country estate on Élysée The Eridani's grand strategy once the French entered was to win a quick, decisive victory and bring them to the negotiating table. They planned a pair of attacks on two major French staging systems - one a diversion to draw reinforcements, the other the major attack. The scheme would probably have worked if not for Admiral de la Durantaye's bold gambit. He recognized the situation for what it was based on signals intelligence, and as soon as the diversionary force blinked into the Centaure system, put his counter-moves into action. Admiral de la Durantaye left a small holding force to keep the Eridani diversion squad at bay, then immediately began a grueling series of blinks from Centaure to Iliade. His ships arrived at the height of the battle and took the Eridani armada completely by surprise. The Eridani fleet was crushed between the anvil of planetary defenses and the hammer of the French force; fewer than thirty Eridani vessels out of almost two hundred escaped the debacle. Famous Military Forces Introduction While the Cossack Regiments, the Praetoriani and France's Légion Tricolore may be the most famous military units in known space, they are far from alone. Arab Union Saif 'Alif (Alpha Sword) is the backbone of the new Caidist military. Saifs are chosen for their political reliability as much as their skill in battle (and having an influential Caidist as a mentor doesn't hurt when it comes to promotions). Initially a brigade, Saif 'Alif is now the equivalent of an army corps and still growing. This expansion has drawn the envy of the Asadeen militia and the contempt of the regular military (less now than before the last old guard officers were purged), but Bitar is delighted with his new shock troops and diverts more and more of the defense budget to their training and equipment. Bell Aside from its modest regular military, Bell boasts the Bell Heavy Industries Security Division. The Security Division is little more than a large and organized gang of uniformed thugs, and it is quietly despised by most citizens (open contempt usually results in a broken leg or skull). The SD often recruits down on their luck spacers, including a few ex-pirates if the rumors are true. Their one saving grace, from the point of view of Bell Heavy Industries, is that the SDers are so hopelessly distrusted by the public that they will obey any order rather than risk being discharged. British Commonwealth Britain has a host of special and famous units. Foremost among them in the eyes of the public is the Special Space Service or SSS. The SSS is a very secretive institution and the primary special forces unit of the Commonwealth military. It conducts a wide range of missions from reconnaissance and intelligence gathering to sabotage (and assassination, according to some critics) to training the special forces of British allies in the Free Worlds and Borders. The size of the SSS is a closely-kept secret, but it is believed to number three divisions (one stationed on Avalon for internal operations, one assigned to the Borders and the third tasked to the Free Worlds and covert actions in other nations). Less secretive and more colorful is the Queen's Own Rimward Rifles, an infantry regiment headquartered on Waterloo. Recruits for the Rimward Rifles are drawn from all along the British Rim, but especially Waterloo and Strathmore. Lately, the Rimward Rifles have gained a negative reputation as strike-breakers on a few worlds, charges hotly denied by Commonwealth High Command. The Queen's Own has several sister regiments, the most famous of which are Princess Alison's Own Hussars (also known as the Sleeves and Shoulders, or just Sleeves, for their distinctive dress uniform), the Royal Whites (Artillery) and the Earl of Southam's Light Infantry. Another famous and decorated unit is the Lowdham Armoured Division, also known as The Hammer. One of the few armor units that conducts orbital combat drops, The Hammer has seen action in a dozen different campaigns since it was first raised over a century ago. Hammerheads are viewed with a mix of awe and bemusement by other soldiers, who grudgingly admire their courage (it takes a very special kind of bravery to sit in a 70 ton tank shot out of an orbiting starship right into a hot landing zone). Martial Arts A variety of new styles of Human martial arts have been developed over the past few centuries. Among them are several Chinese forms: Tianshangquan (Heavenly Fist), Zhituimen (Spider Leg Style), Huoshanquan (Volcano Boxing), Fengzhang (Phoenix Palm), Huoyumen (Fiery Rain Style), Shuangdaoshu (Two Sword Method, a sword technique employing two dao (Chinese swords) and especially popular among the wushu experts of the Imperial military) and Tiepimun (Iron Skin Style). The Japanese have also created new styles, such as Kamido (Way of the Spirit, a form of aikido), Hoshido (Way of the Star, a zero-gravity style of judo that teaches its practitioners to use all three dimensions of a combat area) and Ho-odo (Way of the Phoenix, a Japanese variant of Fengzhang), and the French have developed Marteau (Hammer), a technique used by those with subdermal implants or bone augmentation in their fists, which can inflict terrible concussive damage. Eridanus Union Frontier Group Charlemagne is the EU's main border defense organization. It is divided into regiment-sized groups stationed on each Eridani border world, as much to keep the peace as to prevent foreign incursions. The Frontier Group took heavy casualties during the recent war with France and that, combined with several worlds that had been prime recruiting grounds, has seen it stretched very thin. Old hands consider the newer recruits sub-par and don't hesitate to loudly point that out at any available opportunity. The Grey Legion is a naval infantry force much like China's INIC. Unlike the Frontier Group, its elite reputation survived the war with France intact, and its small size has allowed recruitment standards to remain high. Recently, the military has begun an experiment of adding a platoon of combat androids to every company. While most Grey Legionnaires accept the idea, the move has provoked a frenzy in the press. Killer robots with guns! is a popular inflammatory headline. Euterpe Euterpe's most famous military unit is the Fast Reaction Force. The FRF is a small and slightly schizophrenic brigade; each of its three battalions is trained, equipped and organized along either Sinha, British or Chinese lines as a concession to Euterpe's numerous 'allies.' In theory, this is the ideal method of keeping foreign interference on Euterpe as a whole to a relative minimum, but in practice, the idea is often a disaster. Any operation that combines units from any two of the battalions causes major headaches in logistics, tactics and coordination. French Republic While the Légion Tricolore is without a doubt France's most famous elite military unit, it is not the only one. Batallion Noire, a secretive branch of the Maréchaussée, is the main French special forces unit. It is used mainly for politically sensitive missions that demand deniability if everything goes wrong. Batallion Noire soldiers are believed to have assassinated Eridani Admiral Jakob Lindblad during the War of the Dauphins, as well as several less famous but nearly as dangerous sabotage operations. Its exploits are a popular topic for holovid movies, even if the Batallion has been used slightly less often than popular culture would have people believe. Lagidze Confederation The premier unit of the Lagidzean military is the Trans-Lagidzean Expeditionary Fleet. Based mainly on Bediani and Egrisi, the TLEF is responsible for the defense, exploration and stability of all the systems beyond the Gap. Since there are no conventional threats beyond the Gap, the TLEF mainly attends to the latter two missions. Its ships (a few destroyers and dozens of frigates and smaller vessels) keep an eye out for smuggler and pirate bases, and generally make a nuisance of themselves to "perfectly honest and law-abiding" spacers (who are quick to forget such slights when an TLEF frigate answers their out-of-fuel distress call, and even quicker to forget such mercies the next time they get boarded and inspected). La Marca Auriga Balearic Regiment. Needüütschland This Chinese client state's most famous unit is the Needüütschland Havenarmee (Harbor Army). Despite the name, they are the Freestaat's premier special forces unit. Organizationally similar to China's Wan Lung, the Havenarmee is rumored to be involved in reconnaissance beyond the Sinha border on behalf of the Chinese. Aside from this, they are a fairly typical special forces organization with an unusually old-fashioned, deep sky blue dress uniform based on the infantry uniforms of the Imperial German Army in the late 19th century. New Makuria New Makuria's most famous military unit is the St. Mennas Brigade. The Brigade was originally a Coptic militia unit that resisted the Chinese occupation of Egypt after the Forty Minute War. A handful of survivors escaped after their crushing defeat and fled to the Arab Rim and eventually to New Makuria. St. Mennas is now the "father brigade" of the New Makurian Army and actively involved in the conflict with al-Abdulmelik. Its distinctive ibis and cross emblem is worn with pride, even if it is a death warrant if one is captured by many al-Abdulmeliki troops. Saint Persephone Saint Persephone's military is without a doubt most famous for the Amazon Guard. A division-sized force, the Amazon Guard is First in Fire (the first army unit to enter hostile territory in a full-scale conflict, in Persephonian military jargon). The Amazon Guard includes several brigades of gynoids. Unlike many worlds, Saint Persephone is fairly welcoming of artificial life, and the gynoids or Galateas suffer no particular stigmas (at least while on Saint Persephone). Shango Shango has a very small and generally undistinguished military, but the Special Technology Procurement Detachment is known and feared throughout Human space. STPD is a special branch of Shangoese military intelligence that focuses on industrial espionage and counter-espionage. Its main duty is to prevent foreign spies (corporate, military or otherwise) from stealing technological and industrial secrets from Shango, while a secondary task is to do the reverse in the rare event a foreign power or corporation develops something more advanced than Shango has yet produced. Sinha Reaches The Sinha Reaches have two units of galactic renown. The first is the Forward Frontier Rescue Force, stationed in the Borders. Officially a search and rescue unit, the FFRF is actually an army intelligence unit that monitors Zhongguoan and British communications and, at least according to rumor, undertakes beyond-the-border surveillance of those nation’s military facilities. The second is Detachment Shiva, a more conventional Special Forces brigade. The Shaivas are one of the few modern fighting forces that actually carry swords into battle; granted, the talwars (an ancient Indian form of scimitar) are very rarely used but their mere presence speaks volumes about the attitudes of the Shaivas. Despite the legends surrounding Shaivas and their talwars, members of Detachment Shiva don't often wear the swords in combat, and especially not while on any sort of commando raid. Stratford Most of Stratford's military is a copy of the Commonwealth armed forces on a smaller scale, just as Stratford as a whole is painstakingly modeled on the Commonwealth. The Rickhill Light Infantry, though, is one of the few uniquely Stratfordian institutions. This elite regiment is the Countess of Myles' private army, serving as the armed instrument of her particular policies in the rare instances when they differ from that of the Commonwealth. The Rickhill Light Infantry can trace its history all the way back to the early days of British interstellar colonization and is generally acknowledged as one of the finest military forces in the British Rim. Tingwok Republic White Banner Army (Baak Zinkei Gwan). United States of Orion The United States of Orion armed forces have several elite units. The most infamous of them is the 3rd Special Operating Group, Detachment Omega (aka the Omega Squad). This is not part of the military, instead being one of the Bureau of Intelligence's paramilitary units. It provides muscle to the BI when needed and is often accused of stirring up trouble and backing USO loyalists in former Orion worlds. A few wild rumors even connect it to anti-Chinese insurgent groups on Diqiu; it is true that the Omega Squad has close ties to Ziyou's Tie Long unit. A more conventional force is the 15th Infantry Division (Aerospace Assault), nicknamed the Rough Riders. The 15th Infantry is a special mobile infantry division with its own Army-crewed blink transports (most Army units are transported by Navy ships). It saw heavy action in the Procyon War and gained fame for being the last unit to stand down. The Rough Riders are proud of the fact that their troops on Armstrong never surrendered - they were still engaged in combat until informed of the armistice. The Red Berets are not an actual unit so much as an elite military fraternity. Red Berets is the nickname for those United States Aerospace Force pilots who have ten confirmed kills. Aside from the bragging rights this feat confers, being a Red Beret is almost a prerequisite for promotion in the USAF Aerospace Combat Command. Since the United States of Orion has not been engaged in a major interstellar conflict in more than fifty years, membership in the Red Berets is, for the time being, also granted to USAF pilots who have intercepted and crippled smuggler or pirate ships. The handful of veterans of the Procyon War dismiss this and call those pilots Yellow Berets (when they're being polite about it). Zhongguo The armed forces of Zhongguo contain dozens of specialized units. Foremost among them is the Imperial Navy Infantry Corp, a paramilitary force spread across the Empire. Officially, their primary task is to protect Imperial Navy ships from boarding and to board enemy ships, but in times of peace, the Navy Infantry spends most of its time patrolling the major space ports of the Empire. A popular rumor is that a few smuggling ships are crewed entirely by Navy Infantry soldiers (with Chinese intelligence agents as captains/observers) and work both to discreetly carry sensitive cargos and to make potential contacts in spacer society. The Wan Long (Ten Thousand Dragons) is the Emperor's personal army. It is a division-sized force, and that's about all that is known for certain about it. Naturally, the rumor mill steps in to fill the gap. The Wan Long are either heroic champions of the Chinese way of life (peace, harmony and honor) against a host of foreign and alien threats or well-armed bullies stamping down on anybody who displays too much public dissent. The truth is probably somewhere in between, but since Imperial policy is to change the subject every time the Wan Long are brought up, it's unlikely anybody will know for sure for quite some time, if ever. Ziyou The Tie Long (Iron Dragons) is officially the "Foreign Indigenous Forces Assistance Group of the New Republic of China." In reality, they are an elite special forces division who carry out a variety of missions for the Ziyou government. Their primary duty is supposedly training and arming any number of insurgent groups inside the Chinese Empire, even on Diqiu. The Tie Long is routinely and shrilly denounced in the Imperial press, who blame the Iron Dragons for almost any insurgent activity. As one Sinha writer noted, "If the Tie Long didn't exist, the Empire would have to invent them." Balearic Regiment on patrol.jpg|Amazon Guard on patrol Bell Heavy Industries Security Division squad.jpg|Bell Heavy Industries Security Division squad Euterpean Fast Reaction Force soldiers.jpg|Euterpean Fast Reaction Force soldiers Grey Legion officer.JPG|Grey Legion officer Needüütschland Havenarmee troopers.jpg|Needüütschland Havenarmee troopers Queen's Own Rimward Rifles general.jpg|Queen's Own Rimward Rifles general Rickhill Light Infantry soldier.jpg|Rickhill Light Infantry soldier USO Omega Squad commandos.jpg|USO Omega Squad commandos Zhongguoan INIC officer.jpg|Zhongguoan INIC officer Military Starships Weaponry - rail guns and ram accelerators for close-in defense, plasma guns, conventional and nuclear missiles (cruisers and battlecruisers only) and mass drivers (battlecruisers only) as primary armaments Overview Nuclear missiles Anti-ship missiles Heavy mass drivers Light mass drivers Heavy plasma cannons Light plasma cannons Ram accelerators Close-in rail guns Akash-class Dreadnought Length: 600 meters Crew: 3800 Speed: 70 AU/hr Range: 50 ly Armament: 50 nuclear missiles (18 warheads per missile), 180 anti-ship missiles (6 warheads per missile), 6 heavy mass drivers, 18 light mass drivers, 24 heavy plasma cannons, 26 ram accelerators, 100 close-in rail guns This Sinhan vessel is largely acknowledged to be the most powerful warship in known space. Built at tremendous expense after the Franco-Eridani War, the Akash was designed to give the Sinhan navy a clear edge over their French counterpart. A sister ship, the Ashoka, is under construction, and several more are planned, much to the delight of corporate shipyards. al-Bhar-class Heavy Carrier Length: 400 meters Crew: 500 Speed: 120 AU/hr Range: 30 ly Armament: This Arab Union warship is fast, lightly armed and lightly armored. Its primary armament consists of the spacecraft it carries (a squadron of eight fighters or three gunships, generally). These ships greatly extend the range of an al-Bhar, and make it ideal for patrolling the vast outer reaches of a solar system. The al-Bhars have been a tremendous success on the export market, and they have become a popular flagship for many of the smaller naval powers of the Free Worlds. Azarakhsh Interceptor Length: 11 meters Crew: 1 Speed: 200 AU/hr Armament: 4 anti-ship missiles (1 warhead per missile), 1 light plasma cannon, 2 close-in rail guns This interceptor is the backbone of the Persian Empire's aerospace force and is produced under license in many other Free Worlds. It is fast and well-armed enough to deal with pirates, smugglers and other minor threats. Corumbá-class Cruiser Length: 350 meters Crew: 1000 Speed: 90 AU/hr Range: 45 ly Armament: 140 anti-ship missiles (4 warheads per missile), 12 light mass drivers, 14 heavy plasma cannons, 20 ram accelerators, 65 close-in rail guns A Brazilian design, the Corumbá-class cruisers are typical of the major warships of most minor space navies. They are able to stand up to most warships of the great powers and an overwhelming hammer against even the largest pirate and privateer armadas. Cruisers are usually held in reserve near the homeworld, but a few of the interstellar Free Worlds use them for patrol duty. DP20 Attack Transport Length: 30 meters Crew: 6 Speed: 150 AU/hr Armament: 2 medium plasma cannons, 4 close-in rail guns The DP20 is a sturdy, reliable Eridani vehicle and a tremendous export success. DP20s can carry 20 soldiers and are equipped with special plasma-burn docking hatches that allow quick boarding. Their weaponry is enough to cripple most black market ships and 20 soldiers can easily overwhelm a typical pirate crew. Thus, the DP20 can be found in the militaries of over forty worlds, who have made it the bane of smugglers and pirates alike. Huang He-class Destroyer Length: 200 meters Crew: 400 Speed: 105 AU/hr Range: 50 ly Armament: 2 heavy plasma cannons, 6 medium plasma cannons, 10 ram accelerators, 20 close-in rail guns The Huang He is a Qianzhou long range destroyer, built for extended patrols along the empire's border with Zhongguo and its other neighbors. In war, it would serve as an escort for larger warships; in peacetime, it mostly serves to put the fear of God and the Emperor into pirates and smugglers. (The Qianzhouan Navy does not recognize the concept of overkill) Langfang-class Destroyer Length: 170 meters Crew: 450 Speed: 100 AU/hr Range: 50 ly Armament: 3 heavy plasma cannons, 8 medium plasma cannons, 10 ram accelerators, 20 close-in rail guns This Zhongguoan warship is the workhorse of their navy. It patrols the borders, maintains an Imperial presence in restive systems, deters piracy and smuggling, conducts emergency relief operations, and performs any number of other duties as called for. Although slowly being phased out by newer, more capable ships, the Langfangs are, at the moment, nearly ubiqituous inside Zhongguo and its allied states Maraba-class Missile Ship Length: 50 meters Crew: 80 Speed: 120 AU/hr Range: 5 ly Armament: 40 anti-ship missiles (4 warheads per missile), 2 medium plasma cannons, 4 close-in rail guns The Maraba-class missile ship is a solid Shango design. It is a small vessel, mainly armed with anti-ship missiles, that mainly protects monitors, orbital weapons platforms and other slow or fixed positions. A modified version specially equipped with EMP missiles is often sent on anti-piracy patrols. Rumor has it that a few ships of this class carry 'information bombs' - devices that somehow infiltrate and disrupt the computer systems of enemy vessels, sending their life support and tactical controls into chaos. Shango denies it, and if the i-bombs exist, they've never been used openly. The one drawback of the Maraba-class is its short interstellar range, which greatly hinders its strategic use. Philippe Beauvais-class Frigate Length: 140 meters Crew: 260 Speed: 120 AU/hr Range: 40 ly Armament: 1 heavy plasma cannon, 4 medium plasma cannons, 8 ram accelerators, 10 close-in rail guns A fairly recent French design, the Philippe Beauvais-class is a so-called Frégate expéditionnaire (expeditionary frigate) built to quickly project French power on an interstellar level. It has the modest armament typical of a frigate, but the main value of the Philippe Beauvais is that it can carry either either a company of French naval infantry or an armored squad, sufficient force to seize an asteroid base or small orbital facility. In a major war, the frigates would carry the first wave of attackers; the troops would seize important out-system facilities in order to allow warships easier access to the target planets. The French high command has fallen in love with the design and the initial order for ten frigates has been extended to forty (including six stealthier models designed to carry a special forces company). Shandong-class Battlecruiser Length: 450 meters Crew: 2500 Speed: 100 AU/hr Range: 40 ly Armament: 20 nuclear missiles (18 warheads per missile), 100 anti-ship missiles (4 warheads per missile), 2 heavy mass drivers, 14 light mass drivers, 16 heavy plasma cannons, 22 ram accelerators, 60 close-in rail guns The Shandongs are a Zhongguoan answer to the Guan Yu and Dequenne-class battleships of the Qianzhou and French fleets. Like all battlecruisers, a Shandong has similar armament to a battleship but sacrifices armor for speed. Two ships in the class have been built: the Shandong and the Jiuzhou. Their performances have impressed the Zhongguoan admiralty and four more have been ordered, although it will be a decade before they are completed. Sokhumi-class Monitor Length: 400 meters Crew: 1200 Speed: 35 AU/hr Armament: 100 anti-ship missiles (4 warheads per missile), 10 heavy mass drivers, 24 light mass drivers, 26 heavy plasma cannons, 30 ram accelerators, 40 close-in rail guns The Sokhumi-class is an aging Lagidzean design. It was originally built as an orbital defense ship, one which, while slow, could still out-maneuver its orbital station counterparts and in theory move to meet approaching enemy forces. Large, slow and not very nimble, the Sokhumis were on the verge of being scrapped when the Lagidzean navy decided they would be ideal military exploration ships for the strange, uncertain systems beyond the Gap. They are also excellent blockade enforcers, as many smugglers have learned to their dismay over the years. Tachi-class Gunship Length: 20 meters Crew: 12 Speed: 180 AU/hr Range: 25 ly Armament: 2 medium plasma cannons, 8 ram accelerators, 4 close-in rail guns The Japanese Tachi-class is a typical gunship. It is fast, modestly armed and more nimble than most pirate or smuggler ships. In fleet actions, the Tachi-class and its foreign counterparts screen the larger warships against fighter and missile attacks, a task which makes speed and accuracy more important than raw firepower. Victoria I-class Battleship Length: 500 meters Crew: 3200 Speed: 70 AU/hr Range: 50 ly Armament: 40 nuclear missiles (18 warheads per missile), 200 anti-ship missiles (4 warheads per missile), 2 heavy mass drivers, 16 light mass drivers, 18 heavy plasma cannons, 24 ram accelerators, 80 close-in rail guns The pride of the Commonwealth Navy, the Victoria I is a recent design, part of the RN's ambitious Fleet Overhaul program. Named after Britain's ancient and illustrious Queen Victoria, the first of the Victoria I-class was commissioned on Queen Victoria III's birthday. As a birthday gift, the Vickies "quite pleased" the queen; as a warship, they met and exceeded all expectations. Few ships in the galaxy can match their firepower or armor. There are three Victoria I-class battleships in service (Victoria I, Elizabeth I and Mary III), with one more (Anne I) under construction and a fifth unnamed ship planned. Washington-class Corvette Length: 80 meters Crew: 120 Speed: 150 AU/hr Range: 40 ly Armament: 4 medium plasma cannons, 12 ram accelerators, 10 close-in rail guns, 10 anti-ship missiles (3 warheads per missile) While the United States of Orion Navy boasts many powerful, well-built warships, the Washington-class corvettes are the most familiar. Every Orion system has at least a few Washingtons stationed in it, and most have a full squadron. These corvettes patrol the spacelanes and often see action against the pirates, smugglers and brigands taking advantage of the USO's internal weaknesses. Akash-class Dreadnought.jpg|Akash-class Dreadnought al-Bhar-class Heavy Carrier.jpg|al-Bhar-class Heavy Carrier Azarakhsh Interceptor.JPG|Azarakhsh Interceptor Corumbá-class Cruiser.jpg|Corumbá-class Cruiser DP20 Attack Transport.gif|DP20 Attack Transport Huang He-class Destroyer.jpg|Huang He-class Destroyer Langfang-class destroyer.jpg|Langfang-class Destroyer Maraba-class Missile Ship.jpg|Maraba-class Missile Ship Philippe Beauvais-class Frigate.jpg|Philippe Beauvais-class Frigate Shandong-class battlecruiser.jpg|Shandong-class Battlecruiser Sokhumi-class Monitor.jpg|Sokhumi-class Monitor Tachi-class gunship.jpg|Tachi-class Gunship Victoria I-class Battleship.jpg|Victoria I-class Battleship Washington-class Corvette.png|Washington-class Corvette